ANC veterans accused of plot to harm Mbeki

The South African government has ordered the investigation of three leading anti-apartheid politicians, including the former secretary general of the African National Congress Cyril Ramaphosa, who is a now a monitor of the IRA's weapons dumps, for allegedly plotting to physically harm and oust President Thabo Mbeki.

The investigation was immediately denounced as an attempt to use the police to suppress legitimate political challenges to Mr Mbeki's leadership of the ANC.

The president added to speculation about a conspiracy by issuing a call for those with information about the alleged plot to come forward.

The surprise announcement came from the security minister, Steve Tshwete. He said that, among other things, Mr Ramaphosa and two former provincial premiers, Tokyo Sexwale and Mathews Phosa, were being investigated for spreading "disinformation" that could endanger Mr Mbeki's safety.

He implied that the men were responsible for rumours circulating in the ANC that Mr Mbeki had a hand in the murder of the highly popular Communist party leader Chris Hani in 1993.

"This rumour can set the president up to be harmed, because Hani was loved by the people," he said.

"It can put the president in danger, not only as the president of the ANC but as the head of state. We need to investigate, because when something happens, people will say 'We told them about this'."

Hani was a young charismatic politician and leader of the ANC's armed wing who was widely tipped as an alternative successor to Nelson Mandela. He was murdered by an anti-communist Polish emigrant who was in league with a leading member of the racist Conservative party.

Mr Tshwete said some of the allegations had been made by a former ANC youth leader, James Nkambule. They were being taken seriously because Mr Nkambule "was pretty close" to some of the people allegedly behind the plot.

Mr Tshwete's announcement in Xhosa on South African television followed an interview he gave to a Johannesburg Sunday newspaper in which he alleged that there was a threat to Mr Mbeki's safety from inside the ANC.

Mr Ramaphosa, who led his party's negotiations to end white rule and lost to Mr Mbeki in the contest to become Nelson Mandela's deputy president, is now a wealthy busi nessman and chairman of a publishing group. But he remains a hugely popular member of the ANC's national executive, and is widely touted as an alternative to Mr Mbeki.

Mr Phosa, who was the ANC's constitutional law expert, and Mr Sexwale are also in business.

All three men, who had ambitions to lead their party and South Africa in the past, denied the accusations.

"It is rubbish. What are they talking about? It is really crazy," Mr Phosa said. "They accuse us of horrendous things and that is a provocation. I am not going to jump around as if I am guilty."

Mr Sexwale said the allegations were "complete hogwash". Mr Ramaphosa did not comment in public but told other ANC leaders that the charges were nonsense.

But Mr Mbeki increased speculation about the alleged plot by calling, in a television interview, for anyone with information to come forward.

"Some people want to be president of South Africa. That's fine. The matter that's arising is the manner in which people pursue their ambitions," he said.

"If there is any talk of plotting, those who have information must come out openly and say this is what they know about the plotting, who is involved and so on."

He added that there was a campaign by key businessmen to fund a challenge to his leadership of the ANC at its December 2002 congress. The party leader is automatically the ANC's candidate for president of the country.

"It's a conspiratorial thing. I know you have business people who say we will set up a fund to promote our particular candidate and we will then try to influence particular journalists," he said.

But his statement raised questions about the motive for the investigation. There is nothing in South African law to prevent business people funding or otherwise backing a candidate for leadership of the ANC or the country, or trying to win the support of journalists.

The police commissioner, Jackie Selebi, said that an inquiry had begun after a "senior ANC member" said that the party's national congress next year was likely to result in a "bloodbath".

The official opposition said the investigation was "an abuse of office by the minister and an outrage in a parliamentary democracy".

"Minister Tshwete and President Mbeki, who has presumably given his approval to this abuse, would do well to remember Nixon. Watergate was a scandal where the power of the state was misused to fight political opponents," the Democratic Alliance's chief whip, Douglas Gibson, said.

The ANC said that as a result of the accusations it was concerned about the safety of Mr Mbeki and the three men accused of plotting against him. But in a confused statement, it tried to blame the allegations of dissent in the party on the press, even though the investigation was ordered by one of the ANC's cabinet ministers.

Mr Mbeki has been the target of conspiratorial investigations over the years. In the late 70s he was accused by ANC intelligence of being a CIA agent. He quit the movement for a short time because he believed the charges were part of a plot to get rid of him, or even to justify killing him.

In the 80s, when he was the ANC's principal negotiator in early talks with representatives of the apartheid regime, other leading activists - including Hani - accused him of selling out the movement.

Facing inquiry Liberation leaders deny claims

Tokyo Sexwale

Sexwale, 47, was the first person on the scene after the murder of the popular Communist leader Chris Hani in 1993, and played an important role in calming the anger felt by many black people at the killing. But later he pushed it too far trying to claim Hani's mantle.

He became premier of Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, in 1994, but fell from grace with the party hierarchy

Mathews Phosa

The former premier of Mpumalanga province was never a favourite of Mbeki. After law, business is Phosa's main interest and as premier he promoted investment, including a misplaced faith in gambling as a rich source of tax revenue.

In 1997 Phosa, 48, ran for deputy president of the ANC under Mbeki but withdrew in favour of Jacob Zuma. He was removed as premier by the ANC not long after Mbeki came to power

Cyril Ramaphosa

The 48-year-old former miners' union leader was central to the negotiations between the ANC and white government a decade ago to establish democratic government in South Africa.

He was secretary general of the ANC, but after he lost to Thabo Mbeki in the contest to become deputy president he turned down a cabinet post in Nelson Mandela's government. Although he played a leading role in writing the country's new constitution, he was kept from real power and went into business.

But he remains one of the most popular leaders with the rank and file. Although he retired as secretary general, he topped the voting by ordinary members to the ANC's national executive.